A vascular surgeon is a doctor who deals with diagnosing and treating human vascular diseases. He deals with problems related to arteries and veins and carries out medical and surgical treatment (including modern minimally invasive techniques).
A specialist of this profile can be called a vascular surgeon or angiosurgeon – it does not matter, it is the name of the same profession. Cardiovascular diseases occupy leading positions among all causes of mortality in the world, so they require timely detection and treatment to prevent life-threatening complications. Some patients of vascular surgeons acquire disability and long-term disability due to their diagnosis
What are the differences between a vascular surgeon and a phlebologist?
A vascular surgeon is a generalist – his area of interest includes all diseases of the human vascular system. If indicated, angiosurgeons perform surgical interventions of varying degrees of complexity, including endoscopic minimally invasive procedures. In the early stages of vascular pathologies, conservative treatment tactics are possible, which also requires a specialist’s clinical experience and knowledge.
Phlebology is a section of vascular surgery, dealing with pathologies of the venous system. The phlebologist is engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of the following diseases:
- varicose veins;
- trophic ulcers (as a consequence of varicose veins);
- thromboses;
- phlebitis and thrombophlebitis;
- chronic venous insufficiency;
- diseases of pelvic veins and several other localizations.
The difference between who is a phlebologist and a vascular surgeon is quite big. While the former has a rather narrow working niche and deals mainly with varicose veins and their consequences, the latter treats any vascular disease (veins and arteries). If a patient with pronounced manifestations of varicose veins goes to a vascular surgeon, he can treat it himself or refer to a narrow doctor – phlebologist.
When to see a vascular surgeon
Symptoms of cardiovascular pathologies may be absent at early stages. The clinical picture is diverse, complaints may have similar manifestations with other diseases not associated with damage to the body’s blood vessels. At the appointment, the doctor questions the patient, identifies the presence of characteristic symptoms of vascular pathology, and prescribes additional examination to confirm the diagnosis. The most common symptoms with which patients turn to a vascular surgeon :
- pain in the calf muscles at rest or during physical exertion (a sign of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities);
- heaviness in the legs, increasing in the evening (often occurs with varicose veins of the lower extremities);
- numbness in the lower limbs, coldness, and crawling sensation;
- calf muscle cramps;
- spider veins on the legs;
- dizziness, weakness, episodes of loss of consciousness (in the absence of a cardiac cause for these symptoms);
- a feeling of pulsation in the abdomen (a sign of aneurysm);
- weakness in the upper or lower limbs;
- headaches of unknown cause.
In most cases, a person cannot independently assess their health condition and connect symptoms to a single clinical picture. In this case, the onset of the disease can be missed, and the lack of adequate early treatment often leads to complications and other severe, disabling consequences.
Elderly people with concomitant diseases need increased attention from their relatives – this will help to recognize the first symptoms of pathology and receive qualified help from a vascular surgeon.
Patients with diabetes, especially those with poor blood sugar control, are at risk for trophic ulcers and gangrene of the foot. They need regular care and medical supervision to prevent the development of life-threatening complications.
At-risk groups
A consultation with a vascular surgeon is recommended not only for people with obvious clinical manifestations of the disease but also for those who are at risk for vascular pathologies. At the appointment, the need to start treatment and the risks of cardiovascular diseases are assessed. You need to make an appointment with a vascular surgeon if you have the following risk factors:
- the diet is dominated by animal fats, excess salt, and high-calorie content;
- alcohol consumption, smoking;
- hydrodynamic;
- excess weight;
- psycho-emotional stress;
- depression;
- a burdened heredity for atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus.
Any of the above conditions requires careful attention to your health!
What diseases does a vascular surgeon treat?
The area of interest of a vascular surgeon includes vascular diseases of almost any localization. Conditions in which a person needs a consultation with a vascular surgeon:
- atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid arteries;
- atherosclerosis of the vessels of the upper and lower extremities;
- aneurysms of any localization;
- venous diseases;
- trophic ulcers and gangrene (a common complication of diabetes mellitus when it is uncontrolled);
- secondary hypertension due to vascular disease;
- obliterating endarteritis (in the vast majority of cases, men are affected);
- reticular varicose veins;
- thrombosis of veins and arteries;
- thrombophlebitis and phlebitis.
Many diseases treated by a vascular surgeon can be fatal if left untreated (for example, arterial thrombosis). In these cases, a specialist examination is necessary as soon as possible after the symptoms begin to develop.
The outcome of long-term atherosclerosis (when cholesterol plaques are deposited in the vessels) is a heart attack, stroke, and loss of a limb due to terminal ischemia. Blood stops flowing to a certain area (be it a limb, heart muscle or brain tissue) and the cells die, and their function is often impossible to restore. That is why there is so much talk about the prevention of vascular diseases.
Women often seek help from a vascular surgeon with varicose veins. They are more susceptible to this disease due to the structure of the vessel walls (they are thinner), increased load on the lower limbs, and wearing heels. During pregnancy, the risk of varicose veins increases due to hormonal changes, increased blood volume in the body, increased body weight, and compression of the veins by the enlarged uterus.
Methods of diagnosis and treatment
Having completed the survey and objective examination, the doctor prescribes a set of additional laboratory and instrumental examinations. The final list depends on the suspected diagnosis.
Among the laboratory tests, a vascular surgeon needs a lipidogram (for atherosclerosis), a general clinical blood and urine test, and blood sugar. When planning a surgical intervention, this list is significantly expanded – a vascular surgeon often works with high-risk patients, so it is necessary to exclude the presence of contraindications.
After completing the survey and objective examination, the doctor prescribes a set of additional laboratory and instrumental tests. The final list depends on the suspected diagnosis. Among the laboratory tests, a vascular surgeon typically requires a lipidogram (especially for atherosclerosis), a general clinical blood and urine test, and blood sugar levels. When planning a surgical intervention, this list is significantly expanded.
Given that a vascular surgeon often works with high-risk patients, it is crucial to exclude any contraindications. Additionally, when seeking the best hospitals for vascular surgery, patients should ensure that these institutions have comprehensive diagnostic capabilities and a skilled team to handle complex cases.
Instrumental diagnostic methods most frequently prescribed by a vascular surgeon
- duplex scanning of the veins of the lower extremities – the course of the vessels, the speed of blood flow, and the presence of obstacles (for example, blood clots) are analyzed;
- computer and magnetic resonance tomography are visualization techniques that, if necessary, are performed with the preliminary introduction of contrast for even greater information content;
- ultrasound examination of the vessels of the head and neck.
Increasingly, doctors use minimally invasive treatment methods in vascular surgery. Sclerotherapy and endovascular laser coagulation of veins are very popular for varicose veins. During sclerotherapy, a special substance (sclerosant) is injected into the varicose vein, which causes the vessel to “stick together”. The visual defect goes away, heaviness in the legs and other symptoms of varicose veins no longer bother.
Endovascular laser coagulation has a similar essence, only the effect is achieved using thermal laser radiation. The effect of these procedures can be seen after some time (3-4 weeks). They do not require hospitalization, the patient is sent home on the same day with detailed recommendations.
At the first stages of varicose disease, when the cosmetic defect prevails, operations are performed minimally invasively. At later stages of varicose veins, open operations are performed. Timely seeking help gives the best results in a short time.
In the early stages of diseases, conservative treatment (without surgery) is often effective. Certain medications, diet, compression hosiery (especially relevant for varicose veins), exercise therapy, and physiotherapy are prescribed.
At later stages, drug therapy is often insufficient, and surgical intervention is required. Thanks to the achievements of modern medicine, low-trauma operations through mini-accesses (for example, mini phlebectomy through punctures) are increasingly being performed in vascular surgery.
Such operations are performed under local anesthesia, are easier for patients to tolerate, and do not require long-term rehabilitation. The risks of complications after such operations are minimal. The achieved results are consolidated by relapse prevention, physiotherapy, and dynamic control examinations by a specialist.
Conclusion
A vascular surgeon is a doctor who treats vascular problems using both conservative and surgical methods. The choice of the optimal way to solve a health problem is made based on the results of examinations, the degree of vascular damage, and the clinical picture.
It is important to see a qualified specialist at the first signs of the disease – then the treatment will be as effective as possible and serious complications will be avoided.
